It's In the Code
by Ronnie343
Summary: Soon after Felix's wedding, Ralph suddenly yearns for the one thing that slipped out of his reach. He then encounters someone from his past that he thought he had lost forever. But just because it's the same game doesn't mean that the characters in it have the same coding...or does it? RalphXOC
1. Memories

**Yea, yea, I know that I need to go ahead and update my FN fic and everything. But...**

_** OMIGOD. PLEASEHELPME. THISFANDOMISOUTOFCONTROL. ARGGH...**_

**Ok, now that I've got that out of my system...**

**Went to see Wreck-It-Ralph last weekend and dear god, I LOVED IT. Really wanna see it again in theaters before it goes out, but probably won't get the chance. :( I'll probably give you the rundown of what happened the day I went in the next chappie.**

**This idea...it was something I was thinking about that never really got off the ground until I was exposed to one thing: TUMBLR. Even though I have no idea if I'm going to get a blog there yet, with all the people RPing and stuff, this idea grew from all the wonderful anons and tumblr users on there. But at the same time, I had to make it my own. So, here it is.**

**I had to do a lot of writing down of ideas and such, so I'll probably put them in the notes in the upcoming chapters as well. Maybe some art... *shrugs***

**The first chapter is short, but I wanted to make sure that I at least set up some of the conflict.**

**Disclaimer: The movie probably wouldn't be as half as good as it was if I had made it...**

* * *

"Congrats, Felix!"

"Looks like you got the pick of the litter, Felix!"

"Never thought the day would come, but I'm glad it did!"

"Felix and Calhoun. Who would've thunk it, huh?"

Felix tried hard not to blush from all the comments that he had received, beaming in the flourish of compliments from the Nicelanders and other various wedding guests. Tamora stood by his side, squeezing his hand as he responded to everyone. The newlyweds were being showered with comments purely made out of pride and joy.

As the couple was showered with praise, Ralph stood off to the side and enjoyed a slice of strawberry cake. He had to admit. Being the best man had its perks. But somehow, he couldn't help but feel a little…jealous. Not that he wanted to be. He probably shouldn't be in that matter. It wasn't due to the fact that Felix had a beautiful wife, but rather…

"Hey, stinkbrain." A familiar voice nearly jolted him from his thoughts. He looked down to see Vanellope, all dolled up as the flower girl from the wedding. "What ya mopin' about, huh?"

"Nothin'," he responded. He teased her a bit by raising the cake just out of her reach as she attempted to snatch it out of his hands.

"No, really," she said, giving up the delicious treat. "What's up?"

"Ah, it's…adult stuff," he replied absentmindedly. "You wouldn't understand…"

"You told me that before at Diet Cola Mountain," she remarked, her hands on her hips.

"Well…this is different," he said.

"Aw, c'mon!" She begged, pouting.

"Oh, no you don't," Ralph said, covering his eyes with his hands. He wasn't about to fall victim to that face again.

"Please! Pretty please? I promise I won't tell anyone!"

"Not THAT adult!" Ralph nearly yelped. Maybe accompanying her to Hero's Duty wasn't a good idea…

"I know that, Fathead!" She licked out her tongue. "What I meant was…"

"Hey, Ralph!" Both looked to see Felix and Calhoun, both awfully close. From any other perspective, they looked ridiculous. Calhoun's hands rested in the superintendent's shoulders while his hands were intertwined behind her waist. Probably to make up for his height…

"Why don't you and Vanellope join us?" he asked eagerly.

"What? Wait…I don't dance," Ralph said nervously.

"It's not like I haven't watched you practice, Ralph," Felix said mischievously, causing the wrecker's face to flush from embarrassment. "C'mon!"

"*sigh* Fine." Rolling his eyes, Ralph gingerly grabbed the nine-year-olds hand and led her to the dance floor among the gathering couples. Vanellope curtsied before giggling a bit and putting both hands in his one. Slowly, he began to lead the little girl in a dance, both basking in each other's smiles at the silliness of the whole thing.

But even though he was enjoying the moment, his mind was on something else.

As Ralph twirled her around, he couldn't help thinking about a similar moment that he had experienced some time ago. It had a completely different meaning to it, though. Something special about it, but he couldn't exactly remember what. But by the time he had started to even remember bits and pieces, the song was over and Vanellope was pulling (unsuccessfully) on his arm to get him to join the others as the music picked up. Chuckling, he decided to oblige. No harm done, right?

But that whole night, even while he was enjoying himself, he couldn't help but notice one thing.

The snuggling.

The light kisses.

The playful brushing of fingers down the arm.

The hands purposely playing with the other.

The whispering in the ears.

Brushing of lips against the face.

The blushing.

The pair didn't mean any harm. That was for sure.

But somehow, it kept tugging at Ralph's heart.

Until, finally…

"Hey, listen, guys. I think I'll call it a night."

"Ya sure, Ralph?" Felix asked, somewhat concerned.

"Yeah, I'm just a little tired, that's all," Ralph replied, smiling wearily.

"Okay, then," the brunet answered. "I'll take care of Vanellope for ya, alright?"

"Oh, thanks," Ralph said, turning to leave. A small tug at his feet pulled his attention back.

"…" Vanellope looked up at him sadly, seemingly not wanting him to go. Kneeling down as carefully as possible, he ruffled her hair. " 'Night, Vanellope."

"Goodnight," she said rather sadly. She hugged him around the neck and then watched him go, looking uncharacteristically worried.

* * *

Sleep didn't want to cooperate with him tonight.

Pulling himself out of his shack, Ralph looked up at the apartment buildings. All the lights were out, even though he was pretty sure that he saw Felix and Calhoun huddled together, their backs to the window.

Today was Felix's day. He wasn't bummed out about that.

But he couldn't help but feel left out. Like he had missed out on something. Except, honestly, he didn't want to think about it.

He had finally put the pieces together. He knew what…well, whom he was missing.

But he was always reminded of that one final moment that he was sure that he had locked away in his heart.

Unfortunately, being a video game character didn't mean that memories faded over time. He couldn't remember everything, but it was the exact same, playing over and over again. His programming haunted him that way he guessed, just like when he always fell the exact same way into the mud. Every single time.

Tears began to well up in his eyes.

He had promised himself not to think about it.

But he didn't lock it away as tightly as he had hoped…

_She was right there, running._

_Running._

_Fleeing for her life._

_Arms outstretched, her face full of fear._

_She headed straight towards him._

_Both knew that time was running out._

_But they had no idea just how short of time that they had._

_Not being able to wait any longer, he rushed towards her, his arms extended to give her a helping a hand. To give her that one little pull she needed to survive._

_But just as soon as their hands were about to touch…_

_He felt his face come into contact with the hard floor. Looking up, his breath hitched in his throat as he gazed in disbelief at the sight before him._

_She was gone._

* * *

**If you can resist flaming, the text box is down there.**


	2. Flashback No 1: Curiosity Killed The Cat

**Patience, dear readers. Patience. All shall be revealed in due time.**_  
_

**Thanks for the reviews, though. :)**

**And now, notes.**

**Okay, in order to give this story some backbone, it will be told for two points of view, Ralph's and an OC who you are about to meet here. Any chapters in italics will always be a flashback, but never told from Ralph's POV. Er...this one starts of kind of omniscient at first before it switches.**

**When I was scrolling through Tumblr, I already had an idea of what the OC was going to be and act like. Originally, her name was going to be Fiona, but somehow Fie stuck. Also, as it can be used as a boy or girl's name depending on the culture, I find out that the meaning dealt with being adventurous and curious, which is actually how Fie was...is...whatever. Also, this chapter was supposed to be longer, but the ordeal that continues the flashback is going to be too good to pass up and it seemed good to end this chapter on a (rather ridiculous) cliff hanger. Lastly, I increased the size of the stump. It seemed a little...small. Ralph's nine friggin' feet. How the heck did he fit in the "home" Disney gave him?**

**Okay, I'm done. BTW, I'm going to start replying to reviews next chap.**

**Disclaimer: This story would be a terrible excuse for a sequel.**

* * *

_It was 1995. Litwak's arcade was brimming with business. Gamers filed in and out of the doors as all sorts of ages endorsed themselves in their guilty pleasures. Quarters dropped in and out of slots faster than the eye could see._

_There was a new game that had just arrived that week. It was kept under wraps, really. Nothing really special about it._

_Their eyes were on her, just watching._

_Controlling every block as it came down on the screen._

_And as soon as it hit the building, the constant button pushing began again. The character began to drill the piece in and wiped the sweat off her forehead._

_Immediately, the screen moved up a level._

_But time was up._

_The gamer watched with anticipation as the screen panned out, showing them their progress on the building. Seeing that they had beaten the high score, they held in a cry of joy and triumphantly walked off with their mass amount of tickets._

_The competition would continue. Higher and higher scores soon beat the ones that surpassed them._

_Soon, it was 8:00 PM._

_"Last game, everybody out!" Mr. Litwak called. As the gamers began to slowly dwindle out of the arcade, he took a walk towards the new game console that in sat in the back corner. On both sides of the cabinet, it bore the name Construction Crazies in a large, yellow letters. The three characters of the game decorated the both ends of the name on each side and images of various construction tools were scattered across the cabinet._

_The main objective of the game was to set up the frame for a large skyscraper. The taller the frame, the higher the score. As a sort of twist, players had a few seconds to choose what piece they wanted until one automatically dropped on the screen in a sort of tetris-esque style. The characters then drilled the piece in place and a new floor automatically started whenever one "block" landed atop another, whether the floor below it was finished out not. All the while, the player had to dodge fierce winds, towering construction cranes and ducks that flew past just as a way to immobilize the characters, topple parts of the frame and interrupt whatever pattern the players were setting._

_Opening the drawer, he noticed that the game had brought in a good amount of money for its first week, represented by the mound of the quarters that filled the once empty space. He would count up the amount that he racked up, but since it was his wedding anniversary, he didn't want to keep his wife waiting. Locking up the drawer, he made his daily check through the arcade and then, headed to the front door, locking it behind him as he left the building. Once his car had left the driveway, the once mechanical movements of the video game characters stopped as they watched him leave._

_"All clear!" Ryu's voice was clearly heard across the arcade. The characters immediately broke out of their routines and started to socialize. Looking up at the screen with glee, one character could not contain her excitement of exploring the unknown once more. She wore a purple long-sleeve with white working gloves, black jeans and black boots. On her head was a red hard hat._

_"Ugh, finally!" She turned around to see a young man with short, cropped brown hair, his hammer slung over his shoulder. He was another playable character, the main one in fact. A yellow construction hat on his head, he wore a white shirt, light blue jean overalls, yellow working gloves and brown boots. "I felt like I was being played by a bunch of amateurs."_

_"Nice to see that you enjoy your new home, Teddy," she remarked sarcastically._

_His expression immediately softened. "Of course, I do, Fie. I just…y'know."_

_"It's only been a week." A rather large man with short blonde hair approached the couple. He wore a plaid red button-up with dark blue jeans, black gloves and grey work boots. In his hands was a blue construction hat. A blue scarf adorned his neck. "You actually think that they'll be experts at the game?"_

_"Well, our last player certainly looked happy," Teddy said._

_Looking around, Fie noticed as the game shut down on its own. The construction workers that populated the background and worked the cranes had piled into the elevator that was out of the sight of screen and allowed them to get down safely. The frame that player had built had disassembled itself pixel by pixel until the only thing left was the concrete foundation that it once stood upon. The ducks settled themselves in the roosts that they had set up off screen on some of the buildings that decorated the background. A few characters started to head towards terminal that held the train that would take them to Game Central Station. Fie decided to join them._

_"Hey, Fie! Where are you headed?" Teddy called out after her._

_"Where else?" She didn't bother to turn around. "You guys coming?"_

_"Later…I'm tired," she heard him say._

_"I thought you said that you were being played by a bunch of amateurs," she asked, a knowing smile on her face. Getting no response, she laughed to herself as both men ran up to join her._

* * *

_"*burp* Wow, looks like I'm going to be frequenting Tappers a lot in the coming months."_

_"Dear god, Dirk," Fie joked. "Any game that has root beer needs a ban on you."_

_"Speak for yourself," Teddy said, getting a playful jab in the arm from her. "Hey, I think I'm going to head back to the game since we've got less than two hours until the arcade opens again."_

_"Same here," Dirk agreed._

_"I'll join you guys, later," Fie said, looking up in curiosity at the "Fix-It-Felix" sign. "I've got one more game to check out."_

_"Suit yourself," Teddy said, used to adventurous nature. "Don't be too late, okay?"_

_"Yeah, yeah. I got it." She was already heading through the archway that led to the game._

_Boarding the small train, Fie nearly jumped as she heard it creak once it started up. It rattled rather quickly through the dark tunnel, pulling itself up on the tracks that led to the game. Once inside, it slowed to a halt. Getting out of the car, Fie gazed at her surroundings. She never thought that she would be an actual 8-bit environment, as shown by the dark sky and short, blocky trees that stood off in the background. A brick red apartment building was positioned right in front of the screen, obviously the center of the action. Just out of the way of the screen, there stood an enormous pile of bricks._

_A small commotion was heard at the front of the building, which Fie decided to investigate as she explored. She was met with the sight of a group of some very short characters, all gathered in front of the door of the complex._

_"Huh…" She muttered to himself. Once of the patrons must of heard for he turned around, looking rather stiff as he attracted the others' attention. He had black hair that was slicked back on his head and his face bore a thick black mustache. His clothes consisted of a blue suit jacket, white button-up, black pants and black shoes._

_"Hello, miss," he said, leading the small crowd as they approached. "Welcome to Niceland Apartments. What brings you here?"_

_"Oh, well, um…hi, I'm Fie," she introduced awkwardly. "I'm from Construction Crazies."_

_"Oh!" Fie's attention turned to short brunette who stood next to man. "You're from the new game that just got plugged in this week?"_

_Fie nodded._

_"Well, then. Like Gene here said, welcome. I'm Mary."_

_"Nice to meet you," Fie said with a smile. She relaxed a bit, feeling a little better about having to meet the small crowd._

_"Well, hello there! What brings you here, neighbor?"_

_Fie's attention was directed to the front doors of the apartment, where a short man who about a foot shorter than her had emerged. He wore a maintenance outfit, hat and all, everything a light blue. A thick, brown tool belt adorned his waist, a golden hammer hanging from the left side of it. Tufts of golden brown hair stuck out from underneath his head piece and he wore thick, brown work gloves._

_"Oh, I'm Fie," she said once he had stopped in front of her. "And you are?"_

_"I'm Fix-It-Felix, Jr.," he stated happily, seemingly giddy from having meet someone new._

_A light bulb seemed to go off in her mind. "Oh! You're…Okay! I was wondering who the title of the game belonged to."_

_"Thank you," he said, beaming. "And may I ask what game you're from, ma'am?"_

_"Construction Crazies. We've been plugged in a week…"_

_She was cut off by the sound of falling bricks. All heads turned towards the dump, but Fie didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. The Nicelanders…if that's what they were called…looked somewhat worried._

_"Is something wrong?"_

_"What?!" Gene seemed to jump at the statement. "Oh, it's nothing, Fie. Um, Felix? How about you give her a tour?"_

_"Oh, no, it's fine," she answered. "I'd rather explore on my own. Thanks, though." Giving them a small smile, she started to explore the rather small living space that they had seemed to call home. She never noticed the worried looks that she was getting as she rounded the apartment building and started heading in the direction of the dump._

_"Alright…" She sighed, looking around. "Let's see. There's a bulldozer over there, but the seat's too small for me to get in…a forest is over to my left…and looks rather ridiculous since I'm nearly as tall as all the trees. And then there's this huge pile of bricks…"_

_Fie's face scrunched before she could stop herself. Being part of a game where the player was encouraged to be as efficient and creative as possible, this seemed like a major waste of building material, especially with apartments being made out of bricks and all. But there must be a reason, since every game had a back story to it. Her eyes drifted to top of the huge pile where she saw what looked like…a stump?_

_"What the heck?"_

_Her curiosity getting the better of her, Fie then decided to take a better look at the odd object at the top of the brick pile. Quickly but carefully, she clambered up the pile, glad that was she made to be a fast climber due to the nature of her game. Once at the top, she nearly gasped in surprise as she saw she was right._

_"Woah, this thing is huge." Scraping up a pile of bricks to use as a stepping stone, since the top of the stump came up as far as her nose, she peered into the dead plant. "And hollow! It's almost like someone lived in here…"_

_A sudden sound alerted her to her surroundings. She looked above the stump to see what looked like movement under a layer of bricks on the other side._

_"…Hello?"_

_The pile made no answer._

_Standing on her tiptoes, Fie leaned over the stump a bit to get a better look, not realizing just how close she was to falling in._

_"Are those…feet?"_

_And with that, she was in. With a small squeak, Fie found herself toppling over the edge and into the hollow plant. A collective gasp was heard on the outside. She assumed that it came from the Nicelanders._

_Rolling over as far she could, Fie began to use her hands as way to position herself to sit upright. Once that ordeal was over, she stood up and realized that the stump went down farther than she had realized._

_And that she was stuck._

_"Oh, crud."_


	3. Return

**Can someone tell me if I'm making Ralph really OOC here? I'm trying not to make him super depressed or anything. I'm trying to keep him in character the best way that I can. I might post again today, though. I already have Chapter 4 written up. I just need to edit it. I also have a few headcanons that I'm going to incorporate here.**

**Thanks to kelsey. hampa, I completely forgot to describe Fie's facial features and such. She has long, messy brown hair (can't keep it up due to her construction hat and such) and green eyes. Teddy's and Fie's heads are both a little bigger than their body proportions really should allow. Think Felix's but smaller.**

**Oh, I finally got a tumblr. (and I'm reblogging everything I sight...) I'll probably start putting this story up there as well. If I have any art for any stories I'm doing, it'll probably go up there.**

**But for now, reviews!**

**HHopeK143: It's here!**

**sweetsilent3: Thank you!**

**PPGXRRB 4EVA: Thanks! And I love ur username!**

**Cupcake Fantasy: :D Thank ya! And the tumblr link's at the bottom.**

**kelsey. hampa: Oh, crap! I knew I forgot something! Thank you!**

**Shahrezad1: That's exactly what I was going for! And thanks!**

**Disclaimer: Last name isn't Moore, unfortunately...**

* * *

"All clear!"

In an instant, Felix was on the ground, standing right next to the mud puddle.

"Need a hand, brother?" he asked, extending his hand to Ralph. The larger man waved it off and pushed himself up out of the mud. Wiping himself off, he failed to suppress the sigh that he had been holding in all day.

Felix must've heard. "Ralph?"

"Huh?"

"The Nicelanders were wondering why you weren't at the monthly cocktail party yesterday…" Felix began, fingering his hat.

"Sorry about that," Ralph mumbled absentmindedly. "I…I had a lot on my mind lately…"

"…I've noticed," he said, placing his hammer inside the sling on his belt. " Is that you aren't performing like you usually do?"

"… yeah," Ralph said absentmindedly.

"Is something wrong, Ralph?" Felix asked, concern showing on his face.

"Felix, I told you that I'm fine," Ralph nearly growled, turning away from his friend. He didn't expect for Felix to literally jump over him as a way to stop him in his tracks.

"Ralph, you've been moping for three days," Felix said. "And I've noticed that some of the players have been complaining about how that the game has suddenly gotten easier, even with the "bonus" level we created with the other characters. Now, what's going on? Because unless you've been overdoing it at Tapper's, there's obviously something botherin' you…" He watched as Ralph brushed past him before stopping.

"Listen, Felix, I'm not trying to be mean…but…I'd rather…" He huffed in frustration and plopped down on the ground, ignoring the shake it caused. "I'm sorry. It's just that I've been kinda…envious…"

"Envious?"

"…You probably don't even remember…"

"Ralph, you're losing me," Felix admitted, scratching his head with the back of his hammer.

"*sigh* You're married," Ralph finally said.

"…You not envious of the fact that I married Tamora, are you?" Felix said, suddenly looking cautious.

"Er…not in that sense," Ralph replied. "It's more of the fact that…you have someone to share your life with. And me…"

Felix smirked. "Do you feel that because you're you you'll never find that special someone who gives you the honeyglows?"

"…Well…" Ralph rubbed the back of his neck. "It's more like I'll never see them again. That's why I said that you probably didn't remember…"

Seemingly reaching back into the recesses of his mind, Felix's expression turned thoughtful. As if having an epiphany, he snapped his fingers.

"If referin' to who I think you are…oh, right…she…"

"Yep," Ralph sighed. "That was the reason why I acted so crazy that week, but that probably helped solidify the Nicelander's fear and hatred for me even more…"

Felix looked at his best friend with sorrow in his eyes. "Ralph, honestly, I never knew…that you were that close…I mean I knew that you guys were friends, but I never….I'm sorry. I truly am."

"No harm done," Ralph admitted, a half-smirk having formed on his face. "I didn't really think you cared…"

"Well, I was afraid to ask, I will admit." He placed a hand on the larger man's shoulders. "And I didn't mean to bring back the memories of that day…"

"*sigh* Well, that was fifteen years ago, Fix. No use crying over sour milk." Ralph got up and dusted himself off. Felix didn't say anything, seemingly stumped about how to comfort his friend. Ralph then headed toward the terminal, deciding that maybe some fresh air would clear his head.

* * *

"A new game?"

"Yep!" Vanellope was a bouncing ball of energy afterhours, which was to be expected. She skittered excitedly around Ralph as they headed towards the terminal that led from her world to Game Central Station. "It's supposed to be coming in today!"

"Oh, really?" Ralph asked, sounding less interested than he really was.

"Hey, stop acting a Cy-Bug went and bit you on butt, Stinkbrain, " Vanellope remarked. "Is it really that bad that you don't have a girlfriend?"

"Hey! Wha-? Where did you hear that?!" He snapped.

"I'm just kidding!" she laughed. "Geez, man. You gotta lighten up! I just don't like seeing you moping around all the time!"

Ralph let out a breath of relief. She hadn't caught on yet.

"Wait…that isn't the reason, is it?"

Scratch that.

"O-Of course not!" Ralph choked.

"That's not what it sounds like to me." She smirked a bit. "What ya hiding, Ralph?"

"Nothing, kid," he said solemnly, his face forming a pout. The train that led back to Sugar Rush looked like a small Japanese bullet train that was decorated from top to the bottom with images of sweets and the like. The words Sugar Rush ran along both sides. Squeezing in the best he could, he grabbed Vanellope's tiny hand and helped her onto the train before the doors closed.

"Is that also why you weren't enjoying yourself at the wedding reception?" he heard Vanellope ask as she settled herself in the seat right next to him.

"…It's a lot to explain, Vanellope," Ralph admitted, rubbing his neck. "In fact, it would probably take too long…"

"Uh-huh." Vanellope put her head in her hands before suddenly leaping up and facing him. "…Hey! I know! Maybe you can meet someone from the game being plugged in today! I could arrange something…"

Ralph could almost visualize the wheels turning in Vanellope's mind. "Oh, no, you don't! Don't even think about it!"

Vanellope's face dropped. "Aw, you ruin all the fun! I just wanted to do something to make you feel better…"

Ralph raised an eye brow. Taking a hand, he ruffled Vanellope's hair amid her protests. "Well, you've already done that job, Cream Puff. I am feeling better."

"You sure?" she asked, her worry showing on her face. Ralph only nodded.

The train came to a stop. In a flurry of excitement, Vanellope nearly tripped over her dress. Straightening her dress and complaining at Ralph's attempts to check on her, she dashed out of the train and rushed down the stairs.

"Slow down!" Ralph said, still struggling to pull himself out of the vehicle. When out, he ran after her, slowing down once he got by her side. The station was bustling with more activity than usual, mostly around the empty outlets, one that soon bear the entrance to a new world.

"C'mon! Let's ask the Surge Protector if he knows what the new game is called!" Vanellope was already running towards the security spark, eager for new information. Ralph only rolled his eyes and shrugged. He had nearly forgotten that this would be Vanellope's first time actually seeing a new game get plugged in. As he approached her from behind, she was already in the midst of a conversation.

"Well, it's not really a new game."

"What do you mean it's not really a new game?" Vanellope asked, her hands on her hips.

"It's an updated version," Surge said, straightening his glasses. "A Limited Edition due to the game's renewed popularity."

"Well, it's still new to me," She said, crossing her arms.

"Do you have any idea what the name of the game is, Surge?" Ralph asked.

"Yeah, you may or may not remember, though. It's Construction Crazies."

Ralph was suddenly as frozen as a board. He barely noticed as Vanellope called out his name, tugging at his hand, trying to bring him back to reality. Even Surge stared at him, looking uncharacteristically interested in the Bad Guy's predicament.

Once again, the memory came back to him. This time even more vivid than before.

_"Ralph!"_

That was exactly how she said it.

_"Ralph!"_

Wait…that's not…

"RALPH!"

Snapping out of his trance, Ralph looked down to notice Vanellope, her face grimaced from desperation.

"Are you okay?" she finally choked.

Ralph's mouth only formed a thin line.

That's when an alarm began to sound and a bright light filled the empty socket that sat right next to Fix-It-Felix Jr.

* * *

kashiakuraku. tumblr


	4. Flashback No 2: Wreck-It Ralph

**I'm not dead! And I saw WIR again! Woot! This time my sister was with me and she actually got to see the whole thing. Maybe I can turn her into a Wreckling soon. *ahem* Anyways...**_  
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**Notes: I took this chapter and just WROTE. Mistakes and all. It wasn't hard to write. It was hard to finish and edit, but a fun chapter nonetheless. I'm not about to have love/attraction at first sight either. With the time span that I have set up, it wouldn't really seem practical. Also, I'm going to start to design these guys *whips out tablet*. Might take some time, though. Be on the lookout.  
**

**Reviews:  
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**kelsey. hampa: All shall be revealed in due time! And I really surprised you? Woah. You did hit the nail on the head with one of those ideas, though. I just won't tell you which. :)  
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**sweetsilent3: Thank you!  
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**Shahrezad1: Thanks! That actually helps a lot. And the fallout shall happen soon. Believe me. ;)  
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**adjwolf: Thanks!  
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**CallingtheMaker: ahushdiowiois npoirofgjflgrhw! That's how these reviews are making me feel! And don't worry, you'll see soon, but for now, I"m revealing more of what happened that made Ralph act the way he's acting right now.  
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**Pride: Thank you!  
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**PPGXRRB 4EVA: No prob! And it has arrived!  
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**Phantoms Lil Waffle: In this chapter in fact. Thanks!  
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**Samikans92: Aw, man! Thank you! It always surprises me how many people I move when I write these.  
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**ColombianPanda: It's here!  
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**Random fact: While answering these, When Can I See You Again? started playing. :3  
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**Disclaimer: ...A sequel? Please, Disney. Don't screw it up like you did the others. *coughMulan2InspectorGadget2H unchbackofNotreDame2andafewo thersIcan'trememernoffensetothosewholi kethemthoughcough*  
**

* * *

_"Ah, Programmers! Of all the things that had to happen to me…" Fie groaned, running her hand down her face. She heard a growing commotion grow louder and louder, only to occasionally quiet down. The Nicelanders seemed to be in an uproar about her current state. Fie didn't have time to worry about what they were saying, though, even if her situation seemed hopeless. Taking off her hat, Fie placed her chin in her hand, contemplating a solution._

_"Now, how am I going to get out of here?"_

_Looking up at the side of the stump, Fie got an idea. Backing up, she lunged, aiming for the top of the hollow plant. Her hands only hit wood and she slid back down. Huffing, she jumped again, getting only a little higher, but still not high enough to grasp the top of the stump._

_"Argh! I can't give up! Maybe I can shimmy up the sides of this thing…" She spread out her arms, attempting to reach both sides of the circular stump. "…but it's too wide…"_

_"Fie!"_

_Felix poked his head into the stump. "Are you okay in there?"_

_"I'm fine, Felix," she huffed. "Thanks for asking. Um, do you know how much time we have left 'til the arcade opens?"_

_"Um…" He looked up the screen. "A little over an hour, ma'am."_

_"Okay, then…" Fie placed her hard hat back on her head. Maybe she thought better with it on…_

_"Felix!" Gene had appeared alongside the repairman, his face filled worry. "How's Fie?"_

_"She seems alright," Felix said. _

_"You think that you'll be able to get her out?" he asked the main character._

_"I could try…" Felix said slowly, wringing his hands together. "Let's see…" Snapping his fingers, he leaned as fair as he could into the stump. "Can you jump high enough to reach me, Fie?"_

_"I think so…" Bending down a bit, Fie launched herself towards Felix. She was able to latch on to his right hand…_

_Unfortunately, she didn't expect to pull him down into the dead plant. He landed atop her with an "Umpf!"_

_"Felix!" Gene yelped. Mary soon appeared alongside him. "Are you two alright?"_

_"Just dandy, Mary," Felix managed to say. Pushing himself off of Fie, he helped her to her feet._

_"Sorry about that." _

_"It's alright," Fie sighed. "Well, that was a bust…" _

_"Well, I could jump high enough to get out of here," Felix said, his hand on his chin. "Maybe I could carry you…"_

_"Are you sure I won't be too heavy?" Fie asked. She wasn't exactly sure how he could carry her if she was taller than him._

_"Well, let's find out." Felix smiled, opened his arms and scooped her up. Her arms around his neck, she prepared herself as Felix bounded towards the opening._

_Too bad he didn't even reach the top of the stump._

_"Let's try this again," he said, sounding nervous. He leaped again, getting only a little higher, but still not high enough. After a few more tries, Felix let her down, panting a bit._

_"Felix, you okay there?"_

_"I'm fine." He put a hand up and smiled. "Looks like I can only jump out of here by myself…"_

_"Well, maybe you can throw me up there…"_

_Felix grimaced. "Throw…you?"_

_"While you're jumping, that is," Fie said innocently._

_"I'm not sure about that…" Felix remarked, seemingly unsure._

_ "How hard can it be?"_

_About a minute later, Fie could be seen flying out of the stump. Unfortunately, she had forgotten about gravity and fell right back in, flailing wildly as she failed to the grab the side of the plant once more._

_"Maybe that wasn't such a good idea…" She groaned. Felix didn't say anything, seemingly in pain from being landed on. _

_"Oh, dear," Mary said. "How are we going to get them out of there?"_

_Fie only leaned against the side of the stump, clearly showing her irritation with the current situation. If only she hadn't seen that brick pile move… _

_"Wait a second…Hey, Gene! Is there anyone else up there?"_

_His face suddenly became filled with fear. "What do you mean?"_

_"Well, might sound a little crazy, but I think I saw someone's feet on the other side of that stump…"_

_"Oh, that's nonsense!" Mary interrupted, giggling a bit. "The only people here are Felix and us Nicelanders."_

_"…Don't most games have a Bad Guy?" Fie asked. _

_Gene only paled. "Well, yes…but he's not here right now!"_

_"Then where is he?"_

_"He's…somewhere other than here!" Gene hastily said._

_"Well, can you find him then?" Fie crossed her arms. She usually didn't get impatient, but Gene didn't seem to be telling her the whole truth._

_"Um…well…he doesn't like to be bothered," Gene said._

_"You didn't answer my question!" Fie snapped. _

_"…" Gene only shrugged. _

_"…That's it. I'm using the only weapon I have. HELP!"_

_"No! No!" Gene started flailing. "I'll help you! We'll find some way to get you out here…"_

_"And how is that?"_

_"Uh…" _

_"Like I thought. HELP!"_

_"Stop screaming!" Gene yelped, getting panicky._

_"GET ME OUT OF HERE!" Fie shrieked. "SOMEONE! PLEASE!"_

_And with that, she heard a loud clattering of bricks. Someone shrieked and she could've sworn she heard them slide down the pile and land with a loud thump._

_"Who's there?!"_

_Gene gasped. "No one!"_

_"Hey! Hey!" Fie called. Finally! "In here!"_

_"…Where?" _

_"The stump!" She cried. Another face soon emerged above the stump. Due to the dark sky above them, she couldn't make out any facial features. _

_"…How did you get in here?" the stranger asked. _

_"Uh…I was kinda exploring, climbed up here and fell in…literally," she said sheepishly. "And now, I'm pretty much…uh, stuck. Can you help me out here? If you don't mind…"_

_"Oh! Sure, sure." _

_In the next few seconds, Fie saw a very large arm lower down into the stump. _

_"…You coming?"_

_"Yeah…" She said, more out of awe than fear. "Felix?"_

_"Oh, I'm fine. I'll wait 'til he pulls you up to leap on out of here."_

_Nodding, Fie wrapped her arms around her helper's…wrist? Honestly, she wasn't entirely sure, but she was glad to get out. He lifted her up with relative ease and set her down on the brick pile, Felix emerging a second later. Dusting herself off, Fie decided to get a good look at her rescuer._

_He was large she had to admit. She was only as tall as his chest. He had spiky red hair, chocolate brown eyes and large face to match. He wore a red plaid shirt with dark red overalls that held together by only one strap. Both his shirt sleeves and his pants legs were torn. His most defining features were his arms and hands, which probably as large as cannons._

_"Thank you," Fie said graciously. The giant only shrugged it off and walked off in the direction of the forest._

_"Hey! Where are you going?" Fie called. She attempted to go after him, only to get stopped by Gene. _

_"It's better if you leave him alone," Gene replied, seemingly disgusted. "He's such a nuisance to be around sometimes…"_

_"Oh, um, okay," Fie said absentmindedly, watching the man lumber off. "I'll keep that in mind. Uh, oh, right! I better head back to my game then."_

_"Oh, right!" Gene chuckled. "You don't want to risk getting unplugged."_

_"Yeah, sure," Fie remarked nervously. With one final greeting, Gene and the others set off to the apartments. Felix gave Fie a tip of the hat and left as well. Once they were out of sight, Fie scurried down off the pile and headed off in the direction of the woods._

_"Hey!"_

_He only turned around slightly, looking somewhat surprised. "What?"_

_"You left too early," Fie said confidently. "I wasn't done, y'know."_

_The man only said nothing, scratching his neck. "You weren't?"_

_"No," Fie said, smirking a bit. "I was cooped up in there for at least 30 minutes. And those Nicelanders were absolutely no help. So, I really appreciate you helping me."_

_"Uh, okay. You're welcome."_

_"…What is it with you?"_

_"What are you talking about?" he asked, his tone a little louder._

_"You're acting like I have the plague or something," she said._

_"No, I'm not! I mean, I'm just surprised that you actually took the time to do that. That's all," he said, shrugging._

_"What's so surprising about that?"_

_"It usually doesn't happen a lot," he admitted, looking a little sheepish._

_"Well, I'm honored to be one of the few," Fie said, smiling a bit. _

_A smile finally formed his face. He was completely facing her now, his posture relaxing by the second. _

_"So, what's your name?" she asked._

_"Oh! It's Ralph, Wreck-It-Ralph," he replied._

_"Nice. Name's Fie." She confidently pointed towards herself. "Unfortunately, I don't have a witty phrase to go with it."_

_"Believe me. It's best that you don't," Ralph said jokingly. _

_"So…what…"_

_An alarm started ringing, causing Fie to jump. She laughed nervously. "Looks like it's time for me to go."_

_"Oh, alright," Ralph said, shrugging. _

_"I'll see you later, then?" Fie asked, slowly walking away._

_"Uh, yeah, sure," Ralph said._

_"Okay, then!" Giving him a quick wave, she ran towards the small train that would aid in her trek back to her world._

_She just had no idea how frequently she would be using it in the near future._


	5. They Already Did

**Ah, finally. This chapter was hard to get down, but I think one of the hard parts has finally passed, thank goodness. I literally had to map the rest of the story out that so it would be easier to write. And it helps/ Hopefully I can get the next one up in a couple of days or a week at the most, but that;ll be hard due to the fact that my temp job and classes are starting back up next week.  
**

**SouthernBella: Really? I guess my hard work is paying off. Don't ignore the others, though.  
**

**adjwolf: Your wait is over!  
**

**sweetsilent3: *hugs*  
**

**kelsey. hampa: Hope I didn't make you wait too long!  
**

**Pride: Thanks!  
**

**phantombullets240: That maybe is a yes!  
**

**Shahrezad1: That's exactly what I was going for. I'm glad that I hit my mark.  
**

**Disclaimer: The only things I own are Construction Crazies and any other random game character that make up for this fic.  
**

* * *

"Fix-It!"

Felix knew the sound of that voice anywhere. In typical cartoony fashion, he seemed to float to the area where his wife stood, square blocky hearts appearing around his head. Tamora bent down and gave her husband a quick kiss, smiling a bit before her face returned to its normal expression.

"Something the matter, sugarcup?" he asked dreamily.

"I've heard some buzz about the game that just got plugged in this morning," she said. "But it was mostly about Ralph."

"Ralph?" Felix asked, not that he hadn't noticed.

"He's not the one to take rumors personally, is he?"

"Not that I've noticed," Felix said, looking behind him. "If you heard anything about his performance…well, at least that's true."

"I don't see how this new game would be that much of an effect on him," Tamora admitted.

"Well, you've only been plugged in for about six months, hun," Felix replied. "We had an older, original version of this game about 17 years back."

"Seventeen years?"

Felix nodded. "I think it was 1995 when they were first plugged in. One of the characters visited us frequently. Most of the time, though, I saw her with Ralph. I didn't know it at the time, but from what Ralph told me…" He motioned for her to lean down. "Apparently, they had a thing for each other."

Tamora's face lit up with surprise. "Who? Wreck-It?"

"I know, right? You wouldn't really expect it. But you can't judge a game by the description, just like I shouldn't have judged Ralph by his exterior. I mean, I knew he kept to himself. I guess she was the one who broke into his shell."

"What happened?"

"Her game got unplugged," Felix said sadly. "I remember that was first time I heard the gamers complain about our game's difficulty. Only I can't really remember what got Ralph so steamed just before the game started…"

"Huh." Tamora looked towards the brick pile, where the mentioned wrecker seemed to be in a tizzy, his head down, hands clasped around his neck. "Y'know, any game newer than mine probably would've suggested that he go and visit the game…but from what I've seen when Crazy Taxi got replaced with a new cabinet, it wouldn't be the same game for him, would it?"

"No siree." Felix looked up in the direction of his friend. "To get the exact the same console back would be a one in a million chance, that's for sure. And even if we did, the game would be reset because it was unplugged. The characters would be exactly the same except for some of the coding. They'll never be able to form the same memories."

"No one ever said 'Life was easy,'" Tamora replied. Ralph had now gotten up and disappeared behind the pile of bricks.

"Well, I just hope Ralph feels better, soon," Felix said. "Ever since our wedding, he's been feeling a little left out. At least that's what he told me."

"It must be hard feeling like a third wheel," Tamora sighed. Felix knew that even though she sounded disinterested, she was actually concerned.

Felix only nodded. He wanted to reassure Ralph that everything would be alright, but that would like telling his own wife that she would be able to completely forget about her past finance.

As the couple revered in the silence, Ralph silently lumbered over, his expression blank but his eyes showing the stress he was under. He gave them a weak smile and continued towards the terminal. Felix watched silently as his friend boarded the train and rode off.

"Maybe a little fresh air will help him out," Felix said.

* * *

"But I wanna go in!"

"I know you're excited, but it's rude to go in uninvited," Ralph droned, ignoring Vanellope's protests. "How would you feel if someone suddenly came into your home?"

"That would be cool!" she yelled.

"If you didn't know them?" He gave her a look of indifference.

"…Darn you, Fathead," she muttered. She leaped atop the bench that he was on, copying his expression.

Ralph didn't say anything, for he didn't want to admit that he was especially anxious to see the 'new' characters emerge. At the same time, he wished that they stayed inside their dwellings, for he didn't want anything stupid to happen. His heart thumped so loudly, he almost swore Vanellope could hear it.

He was also silently hoping that just maybe…

He held his face in his large hands.

No.

That would never happen.

Even if it was the same cabinet.

"Ralph!"

Vanellope's voice called his attention back to reality. She looked rather annoyed, but it seemed more from concern than general annoyance.

"You were getting that look on your face again," she remarked, crossing her arms.

Ralph's face faltered even more. This just wasn't his day.

But that's when he heard it.

The faint, but familiar rumble of a train rumbling down the tracks.

And much as he tried, he realized that he couldn't look away. As the characters emerged from the gateway, the other characters surrounding it immediately began to make it look like that they weren't paying attention. Ralph turned his head away in an attempt to look occupied with his thoughts.

"Wow, Fie. This place is huge!"

He stopped himself from leaping up to watch for her. Instead, he turned his head slightly and watched her out of the sight of his eye.

It was some upgrade that was for sure. Teddy, Dirk and Fie all had updated graphics, their looks, if not their clothing, reflecting the HD 2D graphics of the 21st century. Teddy's hair was little darker, while Dirk's was more of a platinum blonde. Fie's hair color remained the same. Their skin color had been softened somewhat, while the details of their faces and hairstyles were a lot more refined than 17 years ago. All three were somewhat taller, meaning that Fie probably reached his shoulder now. Ralph also couldn't help to notice that Fie's hair was longer and that she was little more...shapely (He coughed to get his mind out of the gutter.) . Subtle changes made all the difference.

In other words, the fact that she had become even more beautiful didn't help his lingering feelings a bit.

Realizing that he was staring, Ralph turned away, only to face a smirking Vanellope. In a flurry of movement, she was being held back by a giant hand grabbing the hood of her hoodie. The little girl struggled to get away, but Ralph wasn't amused by her antics and certainly didn't want to stir up any attention, especially if the characters were the same as they were before.

"Fie! Look! A human jungle gym!"

Ralph's head snapped up immediately. In front of him was a small boy who looked to be about 11. He had dark brown hair that was arranged in a messy bowl cut and wore a blue-green striped, short sleeve with blue jean shirts and untied brown boots. He was about as tall as Felix. He smirked deviously at the larger man, having no idea what he was getting himself into. Ralph opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Vanellope, who bravely stood in between the two.

"Hey! Only I'm allowed to climb on him!" She crossed her arms and stared at the boy, who only looked surprised for a split second before his face returned to his sly smirk.

"I'll see about that," he replied. Vanellope only stood her ground.

"Alex." He turned to see Fie, who had crossed her arms. Immediately, Ralph looked down, pretending not to see her. Fie, however, didn't seem to notice that. She immediately scooped up the preteen, who squirmed and protested loudly in irritation. A minute later, he was in the arms of Dirk, pouting due to the fact that it was no use trying to escape. Fie turned back to the pair and smiled a bit.

"Sorry about my little brother," she said, rubbing her neck. "He can be a handful sometimes…" Ralph looked up, ready to quickly dismiss the subject and try to shorten the potential conversation as much as possible.

His eyes unintentionally locked onto hers.

That's he swore that he saw her flash blue for a split second.

Was that a glitch?

"Are you okay?" The concern in Vanellope's voice let him that know that she seemed to have noticed this as well. Ralph held back a sigh of relief, glad that he wasn't the one who had to make conversation.

"What?" Fie shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Name's Fie by the way."

_"Name's Fie. Unfortunately, I don't have a witty phrase to go with it."_

"Yo, Fatface!"

Ralph snapped his head towards Vanellope, who seemed to be glaring at him, but the look in her eyes told him something else.

"She asked you a question. Like, what is your NAME?"

"Oh!" Ralph rubbed the back his neck nervously. "Heh heh… Sorry about that. I tend to get lost in my thoughts sometimes. I'm Ralph, Wreck-It."

"Nice to meet ya, Ralph." She smiled and pointed to herself before speaking again, her hand left on resting on her hip. "And don't worry about it. Happens to me quite a bit."

Ralph smiled a bit, feeling somewhat awkward, but a bit relieved at the same time. At least he wasn't making a complete fool of himself. Fie called Dirk and Teddy over and Ralph immediately expected the other brunet to object to the meeting.

Instead, he held out his hand after Fie introduced them. "Sup?"

"Um…sup?" Ralph shook it as gently as he could. Honestly, he had no actual idea what that word meant, but from hearing it around GCS so many times, he guessed that it was an abbreviation for "what's up." It seemed to have worked, for Teddy gave him a hearty smile. Dirk had dropped Alex and greeted him warmly as well, in his own nonchalant way. Honestly, Ralph shouldn't be all that surprised.

"So, is this your younger sister?" Fie asked, looking at Vanellope. Ralph opened his mouth to speak, only to get beat to the punch as Vanellope giggled loudly.

"Sister? Pfft!" The 9-year-old put up her hands in mock protest. "Well, we're not really related, but I guess you could say that, since our games are from the same company and all." She climbed atop of Ralph's shoulders and plopped down, only getting a sarcastic eyeroll from the giant himself.

"A freakishly annoying younger sister."

"Hey," Vanellope moaned, fake pouting. Ralph only laughed and flicked her off, causing her to land on the bench. She jumped to floor and dusted herself off. "At least I'm the _President_ of my own game."

"The President?" Fie raised an eyebrow.

"I know," Ralph said. "I wouldn't believe it, either."

"Well,_ technically_, I'm the princess, but I think that would be a little too much, y'know?" Vanellope added.

"Is everyone as special as you are?" Fie asked, crossing her arms.

The girl opened her mouth to speak, only to realize the sarcasm and stare up at the young woman in disbelief. Ralph failed to stifle a snicker and quickly reminded himself of what was happening.

"Looks like somebody doesn't like when she gets beaten at her own game," Fie mocked jokingly, smiling. Vanellope only rolled her eyes. "She must be a real handful, huh?"

Ralph only shrugged. "When she wants to be."

Fie only smirked and looked back at Alex. "Looks like we're in the same boat, then."

Ralph managed to choke down a blush before smirking a bit. Fie opened her mouth to say something else, before getting interrupted by an impatient Alex.

"C"mon, sis! Let's go!" He tugged at her shirt, pointing in the direction of Tapper's. "I wanna check that one out first!"

"*sigh* Fine," Fie replied, rolling her eyes. "I guess I see you guys, later, Ralph, Vanellope." She gave them a small wave as she was dragged off by her young sibling. Ralph spotted Alex making a face at Vanellope, who only responded with a messy raspberry of her own.

"I like her," Vanellope stated plainly, clambering onto Ralph's shoulder. "She reminds me of me."

Ralph raised an eyebrow. "You? I'd take her over you any day."

"Oh, really?" She smirked, giving him a knowing look.

"You know what?" He stood up, sending her sliding down his back onto the bench. "I take that back."

"Whatever you say, lover boy!" She jumped down. "But I know who you're thinking about."

"…" Ralph didn't say anything in response, rubbing his beck nervously. "*sigh* Sure, kid."

"Hey, what gives?" Vanellope wondered aloud. "Your mood went down faster than a melting bar of chocolate in the hot sun. If you like her, why don't you just tell her?"

Ralph only shrugged. But that was just it.

He already did.


	6. Flashback No 3: Just Wanted to See You

**No notes this week. Well, not really, anyway.**

**Love Bug by MotorcycleChickenSmile influenced the first bit of the chapter. If you haven't read her fic, by all means, do it! It's heavenly!**

**I know that there's not too much Ralph in this one, but it's for good reason. Also, I'm planning for the slow pace to pick up after the next flashback chapter. I tend to drag on things without meaning to, but I'm afraid if I try to pick up things, the story will go by too quickly. Give me a heads up, though and tell me if the pacing seems a little slow.**

**And thanks to classes, character designs are coming along _slowly._**

**Ugh.**

**Reviews:**

**Shahrezad1: The chapter didn't disappoint did it? I understand if it did, though. I'm not the best out there. Or maybe I completely missed the point of the review.  
**

**WhatNames: I shall pull until you actually have one! And thanks for the advice on Calhoun. I'll keep in mind the next time she appears.**

**CallingTheMaker: Maybe. Maybe not. You shall see. But I don't want to spoil it!**

**Disclaimer: The movie was in development since the eighties. I wasn't even born then.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_"Select your difficulty!"_

_Fie stood over to the side of the screen, hauling rather heavy concrete drill over her shoulder as she announced the menus. The child picked his choice at the last second and "Medium" was highlighted. The words hovered a bit before bouncing of the screen and revealing the main scene of the game: a concrete foundation that was situation just underneath the level of the ground. As part of the programming, Fie interacted with a contractor as he held a blueprint in his hands and raised his right arm towards the foundation, conversing with her in gibberish. Once he walked off the screen, Fie situated herself at right of the screen, placing her drill right above the corner at the very edge of the foundation. _

_3._

_2._

_1._

_START!_

_The player was a little shaky at first, accidentally forming two floors with one block each. He eventually got in the rhythm of the game, forming five block floors and strategically placing a few blocks as a way to avoid getting hit by cranes or have parts of the building topple over due to the wind and his poor placement of the blocks at the beginning. Fie enjoyed these players the most. She didn't get winded and loved the fact that they took their time even with a time limit on their heels (and in her case, literally looming above her head. Not that she minded, the glass screen was programmed to actually a move up a level to follow the character and the numbers stayed right in front of the window.). _

_3._

_2._

_1._

_TIME'S UP!_

_Fie wiped the sweat off her forehead and took a quick glance at her handiwork before running off screen. Hiding in an elevator, she watched as the screen (literally) panned out and showed the height of the building. After the points tallied up, the building quickly 'finished' itself. Fie ran atop the roof of the building and stopped right in the middle, holding up a 'thumbs up' as the words "CONGRATULATIONS! YOU BEAT THE HIGH SCORE!" scrolled up from the bottom and stopped, hovering in front of the building and, according to the player's point of view, seemingly right below her feet. As the screen went black and the player was heard entering his initials, she let out a breath she had no idea was holding. _

_"Closing time!"_

_"Just a minute, Mr. Litwak!" the boy replied. He let out a quiet sigh and left right after entering the last initial. The game immediately returned to its loading screen. As a precaution, Fie walked in place at the left side of the screen as the letters, 'LOADING' rocked back and forth. Once they rolled off screen and the screen brightened, Mr. Litwak had left and Fie immediately darted towards the nearest elevator, not wanting to accidentally fall off as the building depixelated. Once her feet were safely on the ground, her thoughts immediately started wandering towards the activities that she wanted to engage in that evening._

_One of them included visiting a certain redhead._

_He had been on and off her mind for a while now. Since they never got a chance to finish their meeting, she had been looking forward to the time when she would see him again. The next few days had been hectic for her and the others, often leading to her crashing in her apartment and not waking up until it was almost time for the arcade to open again. They didn't get that many players today, so she was glad to finally get a break. Turning towards the entrance to GCS, she immediately headed towards the train that would aid her in getting to her destination._

_"Fie!"_

_After she addressed Dirk's sudden calling for her. She shrugged and turned around. This wouldn't take long._

* * *

_Or not._

_Fie was not a person to say no. And she hated that about herself. The word 'yes' tumbled from her lips as soon as Teddy's question was finished. She ended up spending a couple of hours with her best friends. Not that that was a bad thing, but she had a feeling that if she didn't see Ralph today, she may not see him for a while. Shown by his absence in GCS, it was going to be hard to catch him as it is. _

_"Hello, Fie!"_

_She turned towards the sound of the voice only to see Felix walking up to her._

_"Oh, hey, Felix," she replied. "Good day today? Lots o' players?"_

_"Not as much as we used to have," he admitted, looking rather sheepish. "But more than usual. Got myself a workout today."_

_"Good." She motioned towards his stomach. "Helps keep the weight off."_

_Felix seemed taken aback for a second before smiling and waving it off. "Good one," he chuckled. "How about you? Enjoying your new home?"_

_"Yeah, it's cool," Fie said, shrugging. "A lot to take in, though. It's hard to convince myself that this is my first power strip."_

_"Felt like you've lived here all your life, huh?"_

_"You could say that." She smiled, then mentally kicked herself for getting sidetracked. "By the way, Felix, do you know where Ralph is?"_

_Felix looked surprised that she even asked such a thing. "Ralph? Hmm…" He looked thoughtful for a few seconds, hand on his chin. "Well, I'm not really sure. You could always ask around. Or you could check Tapper's. He may have just headed back inside the game." He shrugged. "I'm sorry if that doesn't help. We don't talk all that much."_

_"Nah, it's okay," stated Fie. She looked towards his home game. "I'll find him. He's easy to spot in a crowd."_

_She heard the handyman chuckle a bit. "You're right about that. I'll see you later, then."_

_"Right." Fie gave him a quick wave before hurrying inside FIF, Jr. As she boarded the train, she couldn't help but wonder why he knew so little. He was the main character, wasn't he? Shouldn't he know more about Ralph? The question weighed on her mind as she stepped out the car and took off towards the brick pile. Clambering up the pile of rectangular stones, she was surprised once she realized that he wasn't there. _

_"Oh, great," she moaned aloud, rubbing her neck. "How am I going to find him now?" She looked towards the apartment building, noticing Gene as he was headed inside._

_"Hey!" Her voice startled the Nicelander, for he jumped and turned in a panic, calming down once he saw the familiar brunet. "Oh, hello, Fie," he greeted. "What brings you here?"_

_"This might seem like a crazy question." Fie decided that bringing it up slowly may make him more receptive to giving her an answer. "But do you have any idea where Ralph is?"_

_She watched as his face dropped, his mood darkening a bit. "Ralph…" he started out slowly, seemingly delaying the question more than he had to. "…well, I do know that he left not too long ago. Probably went to Tapper's. How should I know?" He gave off a shrug. Fie grimaced a bit. He didn't seem to care about Ralph's whereabouts all that much. Instead of complaining about his indifference, she thanked him and headed back to the train. As she got into the first car, she barely heard Gene calling to her as the train began to depart._

_"I honestly wouldn't worry about it! He's not too partial to company as it is! I mean, he is a…"_

_His words were drowned by the woosh of air that flew past as the train flew down the tunnel. Fie sighed heavily, crossing her arms. What did he mean by that, anyway? Ralph didn't seem hostile when she first approached him. More like indifferent really. Maybe even surprised once he saw that she was actually interested in having a conversation with him…_

_Why would he be surprised?_

_Exiting the train and slowly coming into the station, Fie was seriously beginning to contemplate heading to her game and crashing for the night, when she noticed a familiar flash of red out of the side of her eye. Looking around, she saw no sign of her target and immediately frowned. She was probably just seeing things._

_"Look out!" The female construction worker was suddenly yanked aside. Getting her bearings, she glared at the character who had suddenly pulled her over._

_"What the heck was that for?!" she demanded. Paperboy only gulped and pointed shyly. She turned and saw a certain wrecker lumbering towards Tapper's, characters making way for as he silently walked through GCS. Smiling, she set off after him._

_"Hey, Ralph!"_

_He responded wordlessly, turning just enough to face her, a blank expression on his face._

_"I've been looking all over for you," she admitted sheepishly. _

_He raised his eyebrows, raising a hand and pointing towards himself for emphasis. "Me?"_

_"Well, yeah, didn't I just say that?" she asked._

_Ralph didn't say anything, a clear expression of confusion on his face. "ME?"_

_"Yes, you!" She giggled, rocking back and forth on her heels._

_She swore she could see a twinge of a smile forming on his face._

_He rubbed his neck, turning completely around. "Why?"_

_"Well, geez, I just wanted to see you again." She twisted a few strands of her hair, biting her lip. "We didn't have a chance to finish our conversation…y'know…after you helped me out and everything." She looked back up at him, not expecting to see the awe that lined his face. Realizing that she was looking at him now, he cleared his throat and glanced away. A few minutes passed and an awkward silence filled the space between them. Feeling that she was making him uncomfortable, Fie prepared to leave and return to her game. _

_"Wanna head to Tapper's?"_

_"What?"_

_"I was just wondering," Ralph replied, seemingly nervous. "Since you wanted to talk and everything."_

_She nodded eagerly. "Any place is fine with me. As long as I can get to know you better."_

_Once again, a smile appeared on his face._


	7. A Little Bit of Hope

**I'm back! Ok, if you read my other WiR fic, I said that I was going to update once my non-WiR fics were updated.**

**I was serious.**

**Gladly, I was able to start writing the next chapter while trying to get my inspiration up for the other fics.**

**And now, finally, about two months later, this fic is alive!**

**I don't let them die, peeps.**

**I love the first part of this chapter until a certain part. Let's just say that I wanted lots of feels.**

**Character designs shall come soon! Promise!**

**Reviews!**

**Shahrezad1: Really? Thank goodness! **

**DraculaBleh: Insightful? You mean I actually achieved my purpose?! Thank you!**

**XXPay4XtraShippingsXX: :)**

**QuietWolfOwl: And we have another one! Enjoy!**

**Goddess of Mischief of Passion: Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I wonder how the mutiple Ralph theory would work. *sees random plot bunny* Oh no you don't! Get back in your cage!**

* * *

As Ralph lumbered through GCS, he exhaled happily. It was nearing summertime, meaning that more and more children would be filling the arcade, eager to get their hands on their favorite cabinets. Being one of the older games in the arcade, he was still surprised with the amount of gamers they would receive from day to day, but at the same time, it seemed that he was holding his breath, just waiting for that day when something would go wrong. Gladly, that moment hadn't come.

Yet.

Shaking the dismal thought from his head, Ralph nearly ran over a group of tiny motorcyclists. They all voiced their displeasure in gibberish, speech bubbles with symbols similar to Qbertese appearing above their heads as they ranted. Honestly, he couldn't tell the difference.

Closing in on the station that would lead back to his home, he heard a voice calling him.

"Ralph!"

He quickly turned, expecting it to be Vanellope.

It wasn't.

The young woman plowed into him with such force that he was nearly bowled over, being forced to use his arms as a way to keep his balance. Once upright, he looked down to notice a familiar mess of brown hair. Two skinny arms barely reached his back as they squeezed his midsection. When she looked up, his breath was caught in this throat.

"Fie…" He breathed.

"Hey, big guy," she said rather flirtatiously, giggling. Ralph couldn't say anything in response, clearly caught off guard. She let him go and put her hands behind her back, rocking back and forth on her heels.

"What's got you so quiet today, hmm?" she asked curiously. It was almost if she had no idea what happened. " Aren't you happy to see me?"

Ralph nodded, his cheeks burning fiercely. Hesitantly, he reached out a massive arm and caressed her chin with his fingers. She blushed and looked up lovingly at him, grinning from ear to ear. As his thumb passed over her cheek, she wrapped her hands over two of his fingers, clearly relishing the moment. She then latched herself onto his arm.

"I'll take that as a yes," she said slowly. Letting go, she walked back over to him and wrapped her arms around him the best way that she could, burying her face into his side. "I hope we're never apart…"

Ralph smiled warmly, wrapping his arm around her and opened his mouth to answer…

Only to look down and realize that she wasn't there.

Suddenly, all the characters were gathered in front of a familiar port. Ralph found himself pushing through that crowd, watching as a bright filled the socket.

And there she was, running towards him, tears streaming down her cheeks as her pixels violently unraveled.

He launched himself towards the port in a desperate effort to reach her.

"Fie!"

And opened his eyes to darkness.

He immediately panicked, falling out of bed and fumbling around in the dark until he hit his head on the ceiling. His eyes adjusting, he noticed some light filtering through his bedroom window. He felt something touch his arm gingerly and he flinched.

"Ralph!" the figure screeched. "It's me!"

Recognizing the voice immediately, he finally could see Vanellope's form stand out in the dark room.

"Ralph?"

Still catching his breath, Ralph slowly began to realize what had just happened. It was all a dream.

A dream he was actually glad that he awoke from.

Standing up slowly, Ralph reached over and flicked on a nearby light switch, illuminating the room. Lowering himself onto the bed, he sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. Vanellope joined him, a look of worry etched over her features. Realizing that he didn't address her question, he flicked her chin.

"What's got so you so concerned, Baroness Boogerface?" he asked quietly.

"…You screamed in your sleep," she replied. "Were you dreaming about Fie?"

Her insight was right on point. He sighed, seemingly sinking deeper into the mattress. "Yeah…but I'd rather not talk about it, kid. Too many bad memories. But don't worry about it. How'd you sleep?"

"Well, I was fine until you fell out of bed," she griped, smirking a bit. "I nearly got squished!"

"Well, yeah, I'll make sure not to have my nightmares when you spend the night," he replied sarcastically. She only wriggled her nose at him and jumped off the mattress.

"Well, I gotta go, Stinkface." She opened the door, sending him a fake salute. "Besides, the arcade's about to open. I got an avatar stage to fill." With that, she skipped off, but not before Ralph sent her a small wave. Sighing, he rubbed his neck, realizing just how much of a toll last night's sleep took on him. Unfortunately, this one was still fresh in his mind, meaning that he probably wouldn't forget it.

_She looked so…real._

_Almost as if it had never happened._

Shaking the thoughts from his mind, Ralph emerged from the penthouse into the main hub of the game. Felix saw from a distance and gave him a friendly wave. "Good morning, brother!"

"Morning, Felix," Ralph replied, stretching his back a bit. "Looks like you had a good night's sleep."

Felix only blushed bashfully. "Well…you could say that." Tamora emerged from the front of the apartments, clad in a white wifebeater and brown cargo shorts. Sending Ralph a mock salute as a greeting, she kissed her husband on the cheek and whispered into his ear, causing him to pull his hat down as a cover for his embarrassment. As she headed towards the station platform, the wrecker rolled his eyes, not even wanting to question the events of the previous night, if there were any.

"What about yourself, Ralph?" Felix asked.

"Eh, I'm okay," he said, lying through his teeth. "Vanellope spent the night again, so, yeah. Nothing out of the ordinary, I suppose." He smiled to dwarf his uneasiness.

"Glad you're feeling better, brother." He tipped his hand and headed towards the area just outside the screen. "Better get into position, though. Mr. Litwak's dropped his keys again."

Taking that opportunity, the wrecker stumbled to his post on the building and climbed, automatically falling into place with code of his programming. Like clockwork, he began destroying Niceland Apartments, but it couldn't keep his mind off the nightmare he had just experienced only moments earlier.

* * *

The bar in Tapper's was rather full, but Ralph didn't mind. As long as the other characters kept to themselves, it left him to his thoughts. He swirled the remains of his root beer in his glass, feeling a lot better since the incidents of this morning.

Let's just say that he was really off his game today.

In fact, he was so lost in thought, he almost forgot to yell his trademark phrase in time with speech bubble. Their worst player was even able to win a couple of levels more than he usually did.

If that didn't indicate distraction, nothing else would.

The sudden whiteness of a washcloth entered his peripheral vision. Lifting his mug, Ralph allowed Tapper to wipe the bar down, the other character automatically locked in place with his programming.

"Must've been pretty hard ever since she came back, hm?"

Ralph blinked in surprise and turned towards the older video game character, who was currently cleaning out a mug.

"Wha?"

"You're not exactly in a chipper mood tonight," the barman continued. "And little Vanellope isn't accompanying you."

" You've hit it right on the head, Tapper." Ralph placed the mug on counter as gently as he could. "I mean, I know I shouldn't be worried about it. But, when you're right there and…you can't…"

Restraining himself from banging his fists down on the bar, Ralph ran a giant hand through his hair, feeling flustered.

"And then they come back and it's so hard not to act like nothing happened." Holding his head in hands, Ralph cringed as he felt the bar slightly give under his weight.

"Ralph, I've been here almost as long as you have," Tapper began, placing a hand on one of Ralph's fingers. "And I know I don't venture out into GCS too much, but I've experienced feelings most may not think I've related to. To have a game unplugged and plugged in again years later, to watch a character whom recognized you as a friend, treat you like a total stranger once their code's been rearranged…it's a heartbreaking sight. What makes up for it is when a reset character still likes your company."

He pointed towards to the bar behind Ralph. A round of four characters was busy laughing and enjoying themselves. Most characters would recognize them as Axel, B.D. Joe, Gena and Gus from Crazy Taxi, recently plugged.

"You know that they've been moved the most ever since Mr. Litwak brought in their cabinet. And ever since their recent upgrade, this is the friendliest they've ever been. Their code's been reset plenty of times and yet, even without all their memories, they haven't brushed their old friends' company yet."

"Now, I know this seems like a completely different circumstance," he continued, giving Ralph a full mug. "It's been fifteen years since anyone's even heard news of Construction Crazies. And thanks to upgrade, they may never be able to gain back even one piece of their original coding. But if I were you, I'd learn not to take it too hard. And given how your last meeting went, it seems to me that you may have another chance."

"Yo, Tapper!" Gena waved the bartender over. "Need another round over here."

"I'll be right back. Think about what I said okay?"

Ralph only nodded, mentally reminding himself to ask him how he knew about his talking to Fie earlier.

Even though it didn't help too much, Tapper was right. Unlike himself, the bartender had been able to watch relationships develop at a much closer range than the antagonist ever did. Scratch that, make that most characters. He knew all these things from experience.

Ralph smiled, feeling more hopeful about the situation than he had in a while.

He knew it would never be the same, but if he could…maybe…

"Hi, Ralph!"


End file.
